Dialyzer support assembly



Jam 9, 1968 R. s. PATCH DIALYZER SUPPORT ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed00L 23, 1965 ROBERT S. PATCH INVENTOR.

FIG. 2

AT TOR NE YS Jan. 9, 1968 R. s. PATCH 3,362,673

DIALYZER SUPPORT ASSEMBLY Filed Oct 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

ROBERT S. PATCH I INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,362,673 DIALYZER SUPPORT ASSEMBLY Robert S.Patch, Bainbridge Island, Wasln, assignor to Sweden FreezerManufacturing (30., Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Washington FiledOct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,006 4 Claims. ((11. 248397) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A dialyzer support assembly supports a dialyzer in anelevated position for controlled swinging about a horizontal axis andclamps the dialyzer against movement both parallel and perpendicular tothe swing plane. Clamp screws are employed to interlock a dialyzer clampassembly with a swing frame.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in hemodialysis, and moreparticularly to an apparatus for supporting a dialyzer employed inhemodialysis.

In recent years, artificial kidneys have been employed to treat patientswith acute renal failure and to rehabilitate patients who wouldotherwise die of chronic uremia. One of the major problems in the use ofartificial kidney systems has been the complexity of the apparatusassociated with hemodialysis techniques. Such apparatus requires theconstant attention of highly trained personnel and furthermore is quitebulky and expensive.

An essential feature of an artificial kidney system is the dialyzer. Akiil-type dialyzer, which is generally preferred, comprises twocellophane semipermeable envelopes through which small portions of apatients blood passes in counterflow to a dialysis solution passing onthe outer surface of the cellophane envelopes. The dialysis solutionremoves waste from the blood portions by a permeation phenomenon. Whenthe dialyzer is first assembled before each dialysis a preferredtechnique is to rinse the dialyzer interior with a sterilizing medium.Following such rinsing, the medium must be drained from the dialyzerprior to the onset of dialysis. After termination of dialysis, anotherpreferred technique is to drain as much of the remaining purified bloodas possible back into the patient.

Existing apparatus employed to support a dialyzer is bulky andinconvenient to operate. Hence, the technique of draining sterilizingmedium from a dialyzer prior to dialysis and of draining purified bloodback into a patient is often difficult to accomplish and wasteful of thetime of hospital personnel.

Furthermore, as artificial kidney systems become less complex andexpensive, such systems will be frequently used by patients at homerather than at a hospital or clinic. Consequently, dialyzer supportingapparatus must be provided that can be easily and safely operated bymembers of a patients family at home.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a dialyzer supportassembly that is easy and safe to operate and that is suitable for useeither in the home or in a hospital or clinic. Another object is toprovide such a support assembly which permits the aforementionedtechniques of sterilizing medium draining and purified blood draining tobe accomplished quickly and safely with a minimum amount of attention. Afurther object is to pro- 3,362,673 Patented Jan. 9, 1968 vide such asupport assembly that permits convenient assembly and disassembly of akill-type dialyzer.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from the following description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred dialyzer support assemblywith some parts broken away to show details that would otherwise behidden from view;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional detail view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG.1 showing one feature of this invention; and

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of the dialyzer support assembly.

The dialyzer support assembly of this invention comprises a frameconnected to a rotatable shaft, means for supporting the frame with theshaft rotatably journaled thereto, and a gear assembly for rotating ortilting the frame and holding the frame in a selected position. Adialyzer clamp assembly is supported by the frame and is fixedly securedto the frame by clamp pins or screws. With reference to FIG. 1, theframe is denoted by numeral 10, the frame support means by numeral 12,the gear assembly by numeral 14, the dialyzer clamp assembly by numeral16 and clamp screws by numerals 18 and 20.

The frame 10 is rectangular and preferably comprises two side bars, 22and 24, and two end bars, 26 and 28, end-welded together. A shaft 30extends transversely across the frame 10 and through side bars 22 and 24at their mid point and is connected to frame 10 in a manner suitable toprevent rotation of one relative to the other.

Support means 12 preferably comprises a carriage having a rectangularbase 32 and two upwardly extending legs numbered 34 and 36. Base 32 isfabricated from four angle bars aligned and end-welded together suchthat base 32 has a narrow rectangular upper surface 32a and an outerperipheral skirt 32b. Base 32 is provided with four wheel assemblies 42,one at each corner, which may be either orbital wheels as shown orcircular wheels. Leg members 34 and 36 are attached to base 32 by bracemembers 44 and 46, respectively. Leg extension members 38 and 40 areadjustably connected to leg members 34 and 36, respectively, such as bybolts 35, and are adapted to receive the journal-mounted ends of shaft30. The adjustable feature of the legs of support means 12 permitsadjustment of frame 10 to any desirable height within the extensionlimit of the legs. If desired, leg members 34 and 36 may be providedwith tubular members 48 and 50 adapted to receive a support rod for ablood transfusion assembly or some other assembly.

Gear assembly 14 preferably comprises a semi-circular worm gear 52axially fitted on one end portion of shaft 30, and a worm 54 meshed withworm gear 52 and journal-mounted to a worm frame 56 which is attached toleg extension member 38. One end portion of worm 54 is provided with abevel gear 56. A handle 58 is journalmounted to worm frame 56perpendicular to worm 54 and has a crank arm 60 with a bevel gear 62connected at one end portion thereof and meshed with bevel gear 56.Relative movement between worm gear 52 and frame 10 is prevented by asuitable connection such as U-bar braces 64 pinned to worm gear 52 andframe 10. This gear assembly will rotate or tilt frame 10 to any desiredposition from horizontal to substantially vertical and maintain the adesired position until such is changed by rotation of handle 58.

The dialyzer clamp assembly 16 comprises a base peripheral frame 66, atop peripheral frame 68, and a plurality of adjustable clamps 70. Thebase and top peripheral frames are substantial inverted duplicates ofone another and are provided with side bars 7274 and 72'74',respectively, and intermediate reinforcing cross bars 76 and 76',respectively, having T-shaped cross-sections with the leg of the Textending in an outward direction from the clamp assembly. Two such baseintermediate cross bars 76 are spaced such that they can be positionedinwardly adjacent to clamp screws 18 and 20, respectively, as shown inFIG. 2 and are provided with apertures adapted to receive such clampscrews in order to fixedly secure the dialyzer clamp assembly to frame10. To aid in the initial positioning of clamp assembly 16 on frame 10,the T-legs of these two base intermediate cross bars 76 have lower edgeportions 76a (see FIG. 2) that are notched at their outer end edges suchthat the remaining unnotched portions are adapted for insertion betweenthe side bars 22 and 24 of the frame 10. By this arrangement, thenotched cross bars prevent lateral movement of the clamp assembly withinthe plane defined by the frame and the clamp screws prevent movement ofthe clamp assembly perpendicular to the frame plane.

Each clamp 70 preferably comprises a retaining lever '78 pivotallyhinged at its lower end section to the base peripheral frame 66, and atoggle clamp having a toggle link 80 which has an adjustable bolt 82adapted to fit within an aperture provided therefor on the upper surfaceof the top peripheral frame 68, and a handle 83 pivotally hinged to anintermediate section of lever 78 and to the lower end section of toggle80. The preferred clamp is termed a toggle clamping means. The base andtop peripheral frames 66 and 68 are preferably provided with clampblocks 84 and 86, respectively, at the location of each clamp '70. Thetoggle 78 of each toggle clamping means is preferably hinged at itslower end section to a respective clamp block 84 and an adjustable bolt82 of each toggle clamping means is preferably adapted to fit into anaperture provided therefor in a respective clamp block 86. When thetoggle clamping means are opened from the closed position shown in FIG.1, each handle is pivoted upwardly thereby lifting the respective archmembers off of the upper clamp blocks so that the clamps can be pivotedoutward about the lower clamp block hinge points. After the toggleclamping means are opened, the top peripheral frame 68 can be removedand the dialyzer removed or inserted, as the case may be.

If desired, an intermediate frame can be added to the dialyzer clampassembly between the base and top peripheral frames 66 and 68. Such anintermediate frame would preferably comprise retaining side bars 88awhich are connected to an inter-mediate section of body member 78 ofeach of the corner clamps, and end bars 88b which are connected to theends of side bars 88a by a pair of screw bolts 88c. Upon removing one ofthe screw bolts 88c, and allowing the ends bars to swing free, thecorner clamps can be pivoted outwardly in unison after they are openedwith the side bars 88a attached.

The clamp assembly is described in detail in copending application Ser.No. 503,007, filed of even date herewith, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference entitled, Dialyzer Clamp Assembly, byJames E. Cary.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, clamp screw 18 (clamp screw 20 beingidentical to clamp screw 18 shown in FIG. 2) has an elongated shank 98with an intermediate section 90a thereof threaded and adapted to bescrewed into a raised tab section 26a of end bar 26. The inner section9% of shank 98 is not threaded and is adapted to slidably fit into asuitable aperture in lower cross bar '76 when shank 90 is threaded intotab section 26a. The outer end section of shank 90 extends outwardlythrough a suitably provided aperture in a support bracket 92 and has anadjusting knob 94 pinned thereon. This aperture has a smaller diameterthan the outer thread diameter of threaded portion a. The upstanding arm92a of support bracket 92 is positioned outwardly from tab portion 26a asufficient distance such that knob 94 will contact bracket arm 92a whenthe threaded section 90a of shank 90 is completely screwed into tabportion 26a, and such that clamp screw 18 may be unscrewed from tabportion 26a and loosely retained by bracket 92.

Clamp screws 18 and 20 are preferably provided at diagonally oppositeend sections of their respective end bars 26 and 28 as shown in FIGURE 1to further insure that the dialyzer clamp assembly 16 will be properlycon nected to frame 10.

A preferred dialyzer as shown in FIG. 3 comprises an intermediateplastic plate 100a, top and bottom plastic plates, 10% and 1000respectively, and a rectangular peripheral soft rubber seal member 100dwhich encloses the peripheral sides of intermediate plate 100a. Thecombined widths of intermediate plate 100a and seal member 100d areequal to the widths of the top and bottom plates 10% and C. Thethickness of seal member 100d is slightly greater than the thickness ofintermediate plate 100a such that a fluid-tight seal will be createdwhen the top and bottom plates 1001) and 1000 are compressibly urgedtoward one another when the clamp assembly is placed in clampingposition as shown in FIG. 3. Because of the flexibility of seal member100d, seal member 180d will tend to be deformed outward under theclamping pressure of clamps 70. In order to inhibit the outwarddeformation of seal member 1000', intermediate retaining side bars 88aare preferably connected to the corner clamps by screws 880. Thus, whenthe clamps 70 are placed in a clamping position, intermediate retainingbars 880 are brought to the outer edge of seal member 100d to preventits outward deformation. The dialyzer is described in US. patentapplication Ser. No. 503,002, entitled, Dialyzer, by Harvey F. Swenson,filed of even date herewith, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by this reference.

Although preferred embodiments of this invention have been describedherein, certain modifications may be made without departing from thescope of the invention. For example, the clamp screws 18 and 20 could bereplaced by clamp pins adapted for insertion into adjacent cross bars.

What is claimed is:

1. A support assembly for a dialyzer which comprises an elevated frame;upright support means; means for mounting said frame on said supportmeans for controlled swinging about a horizontal axis; a dialyzer clampassembly comprising a base peripheral frame, a top peripheral frame, anda plurality of adjustable clamps pivotally connected to said baseperipheral frame and adapted to compressibly contact said top peripheralframe; and means for fixedly connecting said dialyzer clamp assembly tosaid frame comprising at least two clamp screws connected to said frameand adapted to extend into apertures provided therefor in said baseperipheral frame.

2. A support assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means formounting said frame to said support means comprises a shaft attached tosaid frame and adapted to rotate said frame, a worm gear mounted on saidshaft, a worm rotatably mounted on said support means and meshed withsaid worm gear, a first bevel gear mounted on one end of said worm, ahandle rotatably mounted on said support means, and a second bevel gearmounted on said handle and meshed with said first bevel gear.

3. A support assembly according to claim 1 wherein said frame comprisesa pair of side bars and a pair of end bars; and wherein each of said endbars are provided at diagonally opposite sections with a raised tabsection having a threaded aperture therethrough; and wherein said meansfor afiixing a dialyzer assembly to said frame include support bracketsconnected to the frame end bars adjacent to said tab sections withapertures therethrough being aligned with the threaded apertures of saidtab sections; and wherein said clamp screws each extend through asupport bracket aperture and have an adjusting knob on the outer endthereof, a threaded intermediate section adapted to threadedly engage arespective threaded tab aperture and having an inner end section adaptedto extend beyond the respective threaded tab aperture.

4. A support assembly according to claim 1 wherein said support meansfor said frame comprises a wheelable base member, a pair of upwardlyextending leg members connected to said base member, and a pair of legeXten- 10 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,450,511 4/1923Nielsen 26961 X 1,481,503 1/1924 Carswell et a1 26960 X 1,812,585 6/1931Collins 26960 X 3,060,934 10/1962 Claff et a1 210321 X FOREIGN PATENTS946,527 8/ 1956 Germany.

JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

